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How to buy a good watermelon
Pick It Up: Big or small, the watermelon should feel heavy for its size. 2. Look for the Yellow Spot: Watermelons develop a splotch where they rest on the ground. When this splotch is creamy yellow, it's ripe.Jun 7, 2012
The Best Way to Pick a Watermelon | The Kitchn
www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-pick-a-watermelon...Apartment

I don't know where I learned this, but have used it most of my adult life.

That link was broken. This link to the kitchen is currently working:
http://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-way-to-pick-a-watermelon-172375

I prefer seeded melons, but they are usually too big to eat before a portion goes bad.

Ouchie. My youngest grandson got his finger caught in a door. It required stitches. I remember a time my son got the tip of his finger cut off by a barbeque lid slamming down. I was at work. When I got home, the neighbor had been trying to get him fixed up, but she could not get a doctor to treat him, due to some technicalities. I ended taking him to Ben Taub hospital. He was stoic the whole time, but, when the doctor tried to give him a shot for pain, it took two or three of us to hold him still. The doctor was skilled enough to reattach the piece of finger. I had some idea how he felt, because, when I was a young framer, building houses, I smashed my thumb with a hammer more times than I can remember how to count.

I try to keep my activities, re alternatives instead of doctors, mostly to myself. I posted on a thread, earlier, about colloidal silver. I have not been back to check reactions. Don't want to exacerbate the situation. I have been using the stuff for over twenty years. Mostly I take a nice dose of it the way many use mouth wash. Only difference, I swallow this stuff. My family always acted like I was turning into some sort of kook. The few times I suggested they use some, made in times they really needed it, they became panicky and refused. They gradually relaxed, as they saw me gain real benefit from it. I never catch cold or the flu. Stomach distress, from eating contaminated food? Gone in a jiffy. That is how I got my wife and son to realize the benefit of the silver. My wife had food poisoning. The silver cured it very quickly. My son was about to go on a long bus trip. But, we had eaten at a restaurant that upset his stomach. He had the runs. I told him the silver was all I had in the house. He reluctantly and fearfully took a good dose. He had no discomfort the entire bus trip. I make my own. All it costs me is the use of some batteries and a hundred dollar machine. Also distilled water, a few drops of salt water. It takes about an hour to make up 48 ounces. I take it at least three hours after I have taken other supplements and such, to make sure they don't interfere with each other.

My oldest sister is four years younger. She is in Washington state. I learned last night that she is dying of sclerosis of the liver. Although she drank quite a bit in earlier times, I think it was something else that brought it on There is a lengthy discussion on a site I visited, of causes, and alcohol is high on the list, but not exclusionary. I was informed that she can no longer walk and has been put in a nursing home. We always called her Lovey, based on an early nickname. She left Texas many years ago and I have seen her just twice in nearly forty years.

You can imagine how proud my mother was, to have at last a daughter, after her first four were boys. I will not get to see her. No way I can get there. After her, we will remain, seven living, of twelve siblings and half siblings.

Some of my family has or had a compulsion to give everybody a nickname. It started with my stepfather, but was passed down to most of the rest of us. He called one brother Rabbit, **** and a few names I forgot. Sam was Pete. I was Snurd. Next was Doody. Ubby, whom we later called Lovey. Indy. His mother Sook. And so on. My oldest half brother ratcheted it up. He called an uncle Membranes. Grandpa Cutthroat. Grandma Butch. A cousin Foot. Lovey he called Pipe Nose. A brother Psychic. Some of those names still linger. There is a wide range of intent in those names. Some affectionate, some disrespectful. Some just whimsy. Friends and family were targets, too. The only persons to skip getting nicknamed were Mom and older brother, Roger.

I was just reflecting on this and other aspects of our strange family as I pondered the fate of my sister. You never know what you will think about until such moments arrive to taunt your complacency.

I am a slow writer. I will iterate it often. But my work really is progressing. My last effort to write a book occupied my efforts for a long, long time. In the end, I edited out most references to living persons, fearing reprisals from several, who actually despise me, somewhat, which shortened it considerably. It ended up not being book length. I am fond of the portion that survived. My latest effort cannot be confused with anybody I know. I have no Date of Completion staked out.

People see me being old and they are startled to see me go up a ladder, and step on the roof, rake in hand, to clear off debris. Today, I did that and then brought up a bucket of tar to go over a few seams. After I put it all away, I mowed the grass strip along the street. When you are old you have to keep on doing it or you will lose the ability. I don't write this to brag, but to encourage my fellow geezers to 'just do it.'

It's true that one must keep exercising when we get old, but I stopped climbing ladders at least 20 years ago.
My wife and I go walking almost every day for at least half an hour.
I can tell my energy level is not what it used to be. Our bones become brittle, and I want to be on the safe side.
As far as home maintenance is concerned, all I do is clean the carpet with Resolve and a sponge mop. After a few strokes, I'm puff'n.

Yeah, what works for one may not be right for the other. Still, the principle stays the same.

Don't get me wrong. I used to love home maintenance, and did most things by myself. Even replaced the dishwasher by myself, and that was several decades ago, and it's still working.
Now, my wife takes care of home maintenance by calling in someone to do the job. She also has a housekeeper and gardner come every two weeks.
She just had our gardner cut back our backyard tree, because it was overgrown.

Speaking of dishwashers, I bought one at Home Depot, some years ago. I had been in the habit of firmly tying everything down in the back of the truck. But somebody convinced me I did not need to tie down that dishwasher. So, I got on the freeway and shortly watched in the mirror as it sailed out of the truck, into the middle lane behind me. I retrieved that machine and installed it and it worked great for about three years. Then a sidewall ruptured and I had to buy another. The new one, I tied down more than very secure.

I have been watching American Ninja Warriors this season. I would love to have been able to compete, as a young man. I would not have been competitive, I know, because I have always been too bottom heavy. No matter how I trained, I could never have finished the course. But I would love to have tried.

Another TV series I am watching is NYPD Blue. The H&I channel started from the beginning and went down the line. It was downright mean, how the writers killed off the Bobby Simone character. Then, I assume, because Rick Schroder quit the series, due to not liking the way they defined his character, they edited out all episodes with his presence. It is in the last season now. Got to look for something else to follow after
that.

That's a hard lesson when you listen to someone else, and you end up paying the piker.

By golly, I learned to tie it down, no matter what the situation may be.

So we tried out the new El Pollo Loco. Their specialty is chicken. They remind me pretty much of Taco Cabana. The chicken is grilled and tasty. The beans and rice extremely bland. Cheap prices. Will I go back? Yeah. I want to try the number featuring a half chicken.

I think humor can cure almost anything
I think Trump is a narcissist
I think women have a gut instinct and should follow it or at least look into it.
I think life is not over, unless you give up

The boards seem extra quiet today. Wonder if I missed something about that.